London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Christmas travel chaos as two weeks' worth of rainfall expected over weekend

At least two weeks’ worth of rain is set to fall within the next 24 hours as flooding continues to wreak chaos on Christmas travel plans.

A severe weather warning for more heavy rain is in place across southern England from 12.01am on Saturday until noon on Sunday.

The Met Office said up to 30mm of rainfall could cause yet more disruptions for drivers trying to get home in time for next week’s festivities.

In total 101 flood warnings – where flooding is expected – have been issued for England, alongside 256 flood alerts, which warn flooding is possible.

Meteorologist Marco Petagna said ‘persistent rain’ is expected to continue through to the evening in the south east and south west, threatening more concerns for travellers.

He warned: ‘It’s not going to take much [rain] to cause more problems.’

Marco urged drivers to ‘keep tune of the forecast because the timings of rainfall could change over the next few days’ as the Met Office may need to issue further warnings.

Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin added the rain was coming from a ‘fairly angry weather system’ which will also bring some ‘very strong winds’.

The RAC had estimated around 31 million leisure trips by car would be taken in the days leading to Christmas, with warnings of bumper-to-bumper traffic, and the worst of it expected on the M1, M25, M5 and M6.

It comes after adverse weather on Friday caused the M23 to be closed between junctions 10 and 11, in West Sussex, for around eight hours after a watercourse burst its banks.

Several rail lines were blocked, while bus and road journey times in the region were expected to be longer amid the flooded roads.

Sussex Police described driving conditions in the region as ‘miserable’, and said there was ‘a lot of standing water on the roads’.

Devon and Cornwall Police said flooding across the force area made ‘a number of roads impassable’ and it urged motorists to take extra care and avoid driving into standing water.

Highways England has urged motorists to adapt their driving for wet weather by slowing down, keeping well back from the vehicle in front and easing off the accelerator if steering becomes unresponsive.

John Halsall, managing director of Network Rail’s southern region, said the combination of one of the wettest autumns since records began with a month’s worth of rainfall in the past five days has put the rail network ‘under enormous pressure’.

Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express services were affected after rail lines were flooded.

The picture is a little brighter for the rest of England, however, with bright spells and scatters of showers expected on Saturday and Sunday, with a touch of frost overnight in the north.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×